


After the War

by jstar1992



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-10-18 10:03:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17578796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jstar1992/pseuds/jstar1992
Summary: Celine is a college student based in Pittsburgh, trying to finish up her last year of college. Her mysterious best friend, Sky, has been secretive about his past life for the past few years since he arrived. With the release of Kingdom Hearts 3 on the horizon, Celine notices a change in her best friend that she can't explain.What is his secret, and what will occur once that secret is out?





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
Sky came to my room again last night, but this time, there were tears in his eyes. Had I not been up late, he would’ve been stuck alone. The knock at my door took my attention from my Youtube app where I had been watching the Gamers Joint. I jumped out of bed and ran to answer the door.   
He was standing on the other side, a blanket wrapped around him, and sniffling. “May I come in?” he asked, his voice hoarse. I nodded then stepped aside and he walked into my apartment. Sky slumped down on the couch, his gaze focused on the floor. I sat down next to him.  
“You okay?” I tried to ask him but he refused to answer me. “You know you can talk to me about anything.” Sky didn’t reply, but he looked up at me with his big blue eyes. He shifted so that his body rested against mine, his messy brown hair brushing up against my neck. Some of the strands seemed to form points in his hair, and the messy spikes scratched at my skin. I wrapped my arms around Sky and pulled him close to me.   
“Bad dream,” he eventually said while hugging me. Sky had been having a lot of weird and bad dreams lately, as he had told me before. He didn’t like to talk about them with me and I never dared to ask. I stroked his hair, trying to calm him down after his terrifying nightmare. The room went quiet as I did this. Sky didn’t shed any more tears but I could tell that he still wasn’t ready to talk.   
“Want me to set up the bed?” Sky nodded to my question, his hair scratching at my neck again. I reluctantly pulled away from him to pull some blankets and pillows from my closet and my bed to make him comfortable. When I finished, I turned back to glance at Sky. He looked so sweet and helpless, all I wanted to do was hug him and not let go.   
We’d been friends since freshman year of college when he transferred in from a school very far away. Sky never told me where he came from but we became best friends instantly. His kind and gentle nature somehow broke through the walls I set up, and we’d been friends ever since. Back then, his nightmares seemed way worse. Then it stopped for awhile, but recently it started up again.   
Sky moved from the ragged university couch to the bed my roommate left open when she moved out of the apartments. He made himself comfortable and snuggled up under the soft gray blanket on top. In an instant, his eyes were closed and Sky was fast asleep. With a smile slowly creeping across my face, I crawled into my own bed and listened to Sky’s snores before falling asleep myself.  
The next morning, Sky’s snoring woke me up and reminded me that I was not the only person in the room. My best friend was a log on the spare bed in my room but I certainly didn’t mind. As long as he was okay and not affected by the nightmares, I had absolutely nothing to complain about. I would serve the standard breakfast that I always made when Sky slept over; chicken sausage, scrambled eggs, and half a toasted bagel with strawberry preserves. I forced myself out of bed to start making the breakfast for two, goosebumps littering my skin when the cold air hit it.   
The tiny kitchen was only steps away from my bed, but having just woken up, it felt like much further. I fumbled around in the kitchen, just barely hitting the light switch before knocking over the old RA telephone. “Fuck.” A shift in the other bed made me jump but Sky remained asleep. His snores were soft and he shifted once more in his sleep.   
He was always so cute and watching him at that moment showed why. The dusting of freckles across his tanned cheeks, his pouty lips, and upturned nose, it made Sky stand out. He looked so serene, until his face began to change. I knew what was coming next and I had to stop it before it became worse. The cooking could wait. I rushed over and began to wake Sky before the nightmare could get worse. A few good shakes was enough to end the snoring and bring Sky back from dreamland. He rubbed his eyes before mumbling.  
“Celine?”  
“I’m here, don’t worry,” I replied. “I’m starting breakfast.”  
Sky rolled up to where he was sitting. “The usual?  
“Always is,” I answered. I walked to the kitchen to start cooking for the two of us. The old dorm bed squeaked as Sky got up and stretched, a yawn coming from his mouth. “How do you sleep when you’re not with me?”  
“Poorly. Or not at all,” Sky said. I turned to face him. “My past haunts me. It’s always in my dreams.” He wasn’t facing me now, his gaze was downwards. I always wanted to ask him about his past and those dreams, but he would always go silent or say that it was a story for a later date.  
“I wish you felt comfortable enough to tell me about it. We’ve known each other for years now,” I said. I knew I couldn’t force it out of him, but I really wanted to know. Sky wouldn’t relent, and it was silly of me to think otherwise. I just wanted to know where he came from and why he’d been so secretive about it. Was it that dangerous?  
“One day, I promise,” Sky responded. He wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his head on my shoulder. My cheeks warmed up at his touches. We weren’t dating, but it‘s not because there wasn’t an interest at least on my part. I didn’t know if Sky was attracted to me or not, but touches like this made my heart pound. It always made me wonder where his interest was and what he thought of me, but I never dared to ask out of the fear of painful rejection. “I wish I could tell you everything I’ve gone through, but you’d probably think that I’m crazy.”   
“How could I ever think that?” I asked, my head turning towards him and away from the breakfast that was sizzling in the skillet. Sky’s arms tighten only a little around my waist but it brings us closer together.  
“If I told you, I know you wouldn’t believe me. My story is long and very strange, and being here- with this normal life- I dunno if it’s the most normal or the weirdest thing I’ve ever done,” he replied. I was surprised- I never wanted to push Sky into revealing his life, but I didn’t know he kept it secret for that reason. I still wanted to know but I knew it would only hurt things.   
“Tell me whenever you’re ready, if that day ever comes,” I said and I left it at that. Sky pulled away and the minute the cool air hit my skin, I wanted his arms back around me again. There were no words I could utter to express how I was feeling- how I wished he felt comfortable enough to share this secret with me, or how I wanted him to hold me again and not let go. Sky went and sat down on the crummy couch while I finished the breakfast before plating it. “Want coffee?”   
“Sure,” Sky said. He stretched out on the couch while I turned off the stovetop then went to brew a pot of coffee for the both of us. “Thank you for letting me stay with you again. I really appreciate it.”   
“It’s no problem and you know that! Now make room for me.” I grabbed both plates and took them over to the coffee table. Sky took the plates from my hands and I went back and grab the coffee and forks. “I’m guessing you’ll be joining me for lunch?”  
“Not lunch. Probably dinner though. You keep the dark-the nightmares at bay,” Sky said before starting to scarf down his food. The dark? What could he even mean by that? “Ignore what I said. I’ll order Chinese food tonight. Orange chicken, the usual?” I had a mouthful of egg at this point so all I can do is nod. Sky was deflecting; he was always a terrible liar and that day had to be his worst. He was quick to eat so he wouldn’t have to answer any questions, and all I wanted to do was hug him.   
I swallowed my food. “Tell me when you’re ready. That’s all I ask,” I said. Sky looked at me and gave me a sad smile.   
He finished his food without another word. “Delicious as always. I’ll swing by later for dinner. You said something about a video game you wanted to show me?”   
“Oh yeah!” I replied. I went to grab my phone from my nightstand, opening up YouTube the minute my phone was unlocked. I typed Kingdom Hearts 3 into the search engine and hit enter. Immediately results popped up of trailers and theory videos, and I clicked on the final battle trailer that I had been thinking about since last night. I hurried back over to Sky while the ad played in the background and shoved my iPhone into his hands. “You’ve gotta watch this! The game comes out in a few weeks!”  
The trailer began and I sat back as Sky watched. He seemed fine up until a certain point and his face changed. It was a reaction I’d never seen from him before and he visibly shuddered right at Sora’s scream. The phone was dropped and all Sky could say was “I’ve gotta go.”   
He raced past me and was out of my apartment faster than I could react, and I was left with the remnants of “Don’t Think Twice” fading into the background. All I could do was sigh.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Celine and Sky reunite days after the trailer incident. The two seem fine, but the truth looms overhead. With the game on the horizon, what will come next?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short, filler update to the story, but I thought it was important to the story. Features Kingdom Hearts III spoilers, mentions of SoKai

Chapter 2

It was a few days later that Sky and I had spoken since the trailer and we both refused to talk about it. I didn’t want to push him into discussing it and figured the space would do us both some good. I walked into the office of Dr. Stanton shortly after Sky did, and our professor turned to us. “Welcome to your internships,” she began. 

Sky and I typically tried to have one class together each semester, and this time it was an internship to 3D scan artifacts to print. It would be in tight quarters in a small office, which I had no complaints about. I wasn’t sure if he would say the same thing. Sky turned to me and smiled. “You’ve been talking about this for months! You excited?” 

“Uh, yeah!” I said. We both looked back to Dr. Stanton. “Where do we start?” Our professor led us to our seats to go over the papers we had to sign before starting. I zoned out while signing the paperwork, only jumping back to reality when a copy of our 3D modeling textbook was laid in front of me. Sky snorted when I almost jumped out of my chair. 

“Go through the first chapter and we will meet up again next week to start,” Dr. Stanton said. Sky and I were dismissed after that. 

“Wanna grab coffee?” Sky asked. I tried my best to mask the yawn but it still slipped through. “You totally need a mocha.”

I nodded. “Didn’t sleep well last night. I was up reading spoilers- can you believe that Nomura made Sora and Kairi share a paopu fruit, and then Sora is all about her in the endgame? I’m so disappointed. Their ship hasn’t been fully developed and its a disservice to them and to their shippers to make it canon with such barebones content and automatic assumptions that they should be a romantic couple. Let them be friends,” I began, looking over to Sky with a pout.

“You’re passionate about their relationship?”

“I don’t ship them, yuck. Sokai got ruined for me with all the crazy fucking fans. I used to hate Kairi with a passion though, because I had a crush on Sora when I was a little girl. But then I got older and saw what a disservice the series has done to her, I feel for her my dude. It used to be that a girl like me would never match up, but now it’s that I would never wanna be in her shoes. But Sora would’ve made it worth it,” I joked, trying to cover my embarrassment with an uncomfortable chuckle. Hey, I was six when the first game came out- Sora set the standard for male romantic interests in my life, and needless to say none had matched up thus far. And yes, I had spoiled a crucial part of the game I’d been waiting thirteen years for (excluding side games), but I felt it was my choice. 

“Well, who’s to say that since Sora has gone missing, he hasn’t found someone else?”

“Wait, Sora goes missing?” I almost shouted, making the really cute soccer guys at the nearby table glance up at me with funny looks. Now I hadn’t gotten that far into spoiler territory. My jaw dropped. “You were reading the spoilers?”

“I, uh-”

“No you were reading them!”

“I need to explain something to you,” Sky said. I paused. An explanation? “It’s...it’s about the nightmares, and where I came from. You have to know before the 29th.”

“I’m so confused.”

“You will be, until I explain everything to you. Trust me, it’ll be worth the wait,” he replied. My jaw went slack. Finally, this mystery would be solved and I would have answers to the burning questions I had harbored for the duration of this friendship. I didn’t want Sky to worry about it.

“I’ll order pizza if you bring ice cream that night.”

“Deal,” Sky responded. A warm smile crossed his face and I could tell that he was just as relieved as I was. Even though I was happy that he was coming clean, I still couldn’t wrap my head around his decision to reveal it before the game released. I started to get worried. My worries weren’t really that unfounded, looking back on it now.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...The truth comes out

The week came and went, and then the 28th arrived. I was in a void state- wanting to hold the game and play it but also fearing the inevitable ending and the rumors that surrounded it. Sky had asked to meet in my room that night, and I lounged on my musty old couch with the pizza on the coffee table beside me. There was also an order of mild wings, ranch dressing, and two bottles of Blue Moon beer. Classes had been cancelled the very next day due to the weather. I answered the text my mom sent me with the delivery info for the game. My eyes watered only a little. “So close yet still so far,” I began before a knock at the door diverted my attention. 

I jumped off the couch and ran to answer the door. Sky stood out in the hallway in black sweatpants, a gray tank top, and Nike socks, holding a tub of neapolitan ice cream and two spoons in his hands. “I made it!” he said with a small smile appearing on his face. A blind man could tell that he was nervous about this, but I knew I was gonna try my best to make him comfortable. 

“Glad you’re here! You can throw that in the freezer, I ordered us a whole feast,” I said, stepping out of Sky’s way. He walked into the apartment and went straight for the kitchen, and he turned back to me when the freezer door shut. “I wasn’t sure how hungry you were, but I’m starving,” I began. My gaze went down to a new piece of jewelry that I hadn’t seen on him before; a crown necklace, shaped exactly like I had seen in the game. It looked like it belonged around Sora’s neck, like it had just been plucked from the Kingdom Hearts hero and given to my dear friend. Internally, I prayed that he wasn’t one of those Tumblr kin types because I still couldn’t fully understand it and thus far nobody had explained it to me. “New necklace?”

“Actually, I’ve had it for years. I just haven’t worn it in a long time,” Sky began. He sat down on the couch and I sat next to him. “One of my best friends gave it to me when I was a kid, I’ve held onto it ever since.” I grabbed a slice of pizza and started eating, and Sky began his story. On occasion he would pause to have a pizza slice or munch on a wing or to take a swig of beer. Between the two of us, the food slowly depleted. Sky came over at 7:30, and the story ended at 10 PM. My eyes were wide as the realization hit me and the pieces began to connect. 

“So...y-you’re Sora?” I said, eyeing him up a little.

“Yeah, that’s me.” 

“I’m sorry to ask this, but how can I believe you? Do you still have the keyblade or something besides the necklace that can prove-” 

Sky- well, Sora- shifted so he faced me and removed his tank top. His toned chest was revealed, marked by freckles and some scars and- oh. A scar on his chest in the shape of a keyhole, the exact spot where Sora stabbed himself in the first game to release Kairi’s heart. Sk-Sora pulled my hand to it. My face was red at the fact that I was touching his chest but tracing the scar made it all the more real. 

He released my hand from his and stood up. “Check this out!” In a flash of light, the Kingdom Key was in his hands. I stumbled off the couch and fell to the floor, flabbergasted at this revelation. So it’s true- he’s Sora. THE Sora. The keyblade disappeared from his hands as Sora dove to assist me. “Shit! Are you okay?”

This was everything I ever dreamed of as a little girl, of being around him, with him. It’s happening right now. “It’s you, it’s really you,” I started. My arms wrapped tight around him, pulling him close to me. “This is like a dream come true.” 

Sora’s lips grazed my cheek. “Don’t assume your dreams are just fantasy,” he murmured. We both shifted so we were sitting upright, and his hand gently tilted my face so I was looking up at him. I didn’t want to be lost in his eyes but, as cliche as it was, I totally was. His calloused hands moved to hold my face better and then his lips were on mine. My mind was racing and then I remembered something from the week before- he suggested that Sora had found someone else. Oh! My heart was pounding as I sank into the kiss and reciprocated it with the same passion. 

Pulling apart for air was dreaded but necessary. “I just can’t believe it’s you, and you just kissed me!” My face had to have been bright red from it all but I wasn’t complaining one bit. 

“I wanted to do that for awhile. And after you admitted your crush on me as a little girl, I wanted to come clean about everything to you. D-do you still feel that way?” Sora replied. He glanced away from me and scratched the back of his head, his iconic grin appearing on his face.

“I thought me saying that it’s you, it’s really you was enough. Of course I feel the same way! I do wanna ask- how did you get here of all places?”

“Well, I jumped worldlines. I was in Shibuya for some time, but I wasn’t transported back after the game ended. I wandered through Japan for awhile, and then I decided to come to the states and found my way to you. Just wait until 3 and 4 come out, I’m sure Nomura will have some explanation that won’t make any sense,” Sora answered. 

Sora moved away from me and grabbed his tank top. While he pulled it on, I stood up and readjusted my short black ponytail. My sweatshirt and sleep shorts wouldn’t keep me warm tonight but at least I had the heat on in my room. “Are you staying over tonight?”

“Yeah, if you don’t mind. Paul is up smoking weed and you know I don’t like to do that.”

I couldn’t believe I was gonna do this. “You can share my bed if you want,” I said. 

Sora paused. “Is this the oh no there was only one bed trope?” he laughed and his tanned, freckled nose wrinkled. 

“Oh shut up,” I said, giving his arm a smack. We left the empty cartons and bottles on the table as Sora climbed into my bed first. “You better tell me what all the worlds were truly like while I’m playing,” I said, sliding into bed with him. 

“I will, I promise,” Sora replied. 

“I’m glad you finally answered those questions. I had always wondered about how much you looked like Sora. Well, that and how come you wore such big shoes, but I chalked that up to you having a- never mind,” I said. My face went red at the fact that I was straight up word vomiting and telling him that I had wondered about his, ahem, size. Yikes.

Sora laughed but I saw his neck and cheeks going red at the thought. “Night,” he mumbled, still snuggling close to me despite the awkward moment. 

“G’night,” I replied. We both were asleep not too long afterwards.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is based off of an AU idea I had in June of 2018. This is my tribute to KH3 since the game will be released later tonight/tomorrow! Let me know what you think!


End file.
